It is past midnight and Robbie cannot sleep. He tries working on some old machine parts but a pipe slides out and cuts his hand. Though he is technically 'in trouble', Sportacus won't realize. Robbie's dark magic in his lair prevents the light magic of Sportacus's powers from infiltrating. When he returns to his orange chair with the first aid kit, he can feel something is off. He shrugs and stitches his hand back.
As he finishes here, a strong force of magic sends him flying. Robbie is not at all prepared. He flies into his television set then tries to roll out of the way. The intruder easily catches him and sends hardened magic surging through his body. This causes Robbie's vision to be impaired. His mind pedals slowly, too slow to summon a reaction. One last action leaves a fiery patterned imprint on his forehead. Robbie is unconscious.
Around eleven in the morning, the intruder is still around. Robbie begins to stir, so the interloper checks through the periscope. Several people are playing by the soccer field, so he locates the nearest pipe leading there. Robbie is thrust behind a wall just as a soccer ball is kicked there. Robbie yelps upon impact and Sportacus flips over to help.
Robbie sits up, dazed. Sportacus holds out his hand but Robbie ignores it. The kids gather around, confused but wary that Robbie hasn't blown up at them yet. Finally, Robbie frowns, slowly picking himself off the ground and leering at the children. As he advances on them with an eerie sneer on his face, they run. Sportacus opens his mouth to say something, but stops at Robbie's glare.
"What the hell ?"
"I'm sorry, Robbie." Sportacus says quickly. "It was an accident. We were playing and I missed and "
"You're cute when you're all flustered." Robbie responds with a seething smirk.
Sportacus stops babbling. He blushes and stares at the ground. Robbie is completely confused. He is glad the others had gone away, because he feels something special about the shorter blue man. He decides to play it off, pretending he knows exactly who everyone is and where they are. He grabs the nearby ball and twirls it skillfully on his index finger.
"Wanna play some one-on-one?"
"Huh?" Sportacus's head shoots up. First the compliment, now this? How hard did he hit his head? "You want to play soccer?"
"With you, now? Sure."
"O-Okay. Do you know how to play?"
"Don't worry." Robbie speaks in a teasing manner. "I'll go easy on you."
Sportacus reaches out to take the ball, but Robbie tosses it over his shoulder. His foot kicks it to his head, rolling back down his back, then to his front as he runs to the soccer field. Sportacus chases after. At first both men were going rather easy on each other, then Robbie decides to make an outrageous shot across the field. They play the sport for close to an hour. Robbie stomach grumbles and he decides to rest on the bench.
Sportacus agrees momentarily. They each take a bottle of water and cool off. Robbie's stomach grumbles again. Sportacus looks over and ultimately makes a choice.
"You're hungry and it's lunchtime. Let's both go to Stephanie's to eat."
Sportacus stands up and walks away. He pauses when he realizes Robbie isn't behind him. He frowns, understanding the game must have been a spur-of-the-moment thing; a way of showing him that Robbie wasn't mad.
"Or not. I guess you'd rather go back home."
Robbie's eyebrows perk up at this. "Don't you have a home?"
"Uh the, airship."
"Why not eat lunch there?"
"Huh?"
Robbie shakes his head and stands. "You and me have lunch in the airship."
"Really?" Sportacus's eyes widen. "But, but, you don't like healthy foods and you're afraid of heights. Aren't you?"
"I like some healthy foods." Robbie admits. "But, no, I'm not afraid of heights. Where did you get that?"
"L-Last time you came aboard. You were, you were yelling at me and holding on tight and, and you were scared."
"Maybe I was scared of something else, then." Robbie answers, eying the floating ship it must be that one. "Race you."
Sportacus is utterly flabbergasted. He watches as Robbie Rotten, the town's laziest citizen, races off at incredible speeds toward the aircraft he calls home. Finally regaining his senses, Robbie is long gone. Sportacus runs after him. What surprises him even more is the ladder. It is already down and the door is open. Sportacus doesn't see Robbie anywhere, so he quickly climbs up the ladder and jumps to his kitchen. Robbie is sitting at a table, snacking on a green apple.
"How ?"
"Sit down, have a snack." Robbie ushers from his seat. "Make yourself at home."
Sportacus calls for an apple, gets a red one, and sits. He is lost in thought about how Robbie could have possibly gotten up here. Did I leave it down? Was I that careless this morning? C'mon, Sportacus. Think!
A smile creeps on Robbie's face as he quirks an eyebrow. Sportacus catches this and imitates his brow raise.
"You weren't careless, Sportacus."
"Did I say that out loud?" He blushes.
"No." Robbie answers simply. "I emulated your voice."
"You, how, what you can do that?"
Robbie nods. He stands up and walks a little away from the table. With a perfect imitation of Sportacus's voice, he calls for a basketball. He listens to the rumblings in the ship studiously then reaches an arm out, easily catching the ball. He twirls it on his finger, then lets it roll down his arms before putting it away and returning to his apple. Sportacus sits there, jaw agape.
"How long have you been able to do that?"
"Basketball or the emulation thing? I like basketball and soccer. Hate baseball. Emulations have just always been easy for me, though I don't always share them. Guess you're special."
"Special?" Sportacus repeats. "Robbie, do you like me?"
"Yes." He answers absentmindedly.
"Then why are you always trying to run me out of town?"
Robbie's mind quickly shifts into a overdrive. "So I don't have to deal with my emotions, reveal myself and get rejected."
"I-Uh, whoa. Um, reveal yourself?"
"Everyone has something hidden about them." Robbie nods, feeling for some reason he can trust this man. "Elf."
"Uh, yeah " Sportacus scratches the back of his neck then cautiously pulls off his hat. "I'm an elf."
Robbie glances up a moment, and then goes back to his apple. He is currently trying to peel it with his thumbnail.
"You, uh, don't seem surprised. I thought you would, uh, want to feel my ears or or my hair. Or something."
"You're attracted to me." It isn't a question. "You get ecstatic if someone goes over your ears. Same as I would if I were being held."
"I th-thought you were just sleepy."
Robbie quickly and quietly jumps up, nearly pinning the smaller man to the table. "And aroused." He purrs, grabbing Sportacus's jaw and kissing him as if his life depended on it.
Let me know how I did!